Safety-stirrup.



PATENTBD SEPT. 5, 1905.

C. P. ELDENBURG. SAFETY STIRRUP.

APPLICATION FILED MAE. 1, 1905.

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UNITED STATES CARL F. ELDENBURG, OF

SPOKANE, \VASHINGTON.

SAFETY-STIRRUP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1905.

Application filed March 1, 1905. Serial No. 247,933.

To all whom it vim/y concern:

Be it known that I, CARL F. ELDENBURG, a f citizen of the United States, residing at Spof kane, in the county of Spokane and State of \Vashington, have invented new and useful Improvements in Safety-St-irrups, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to stirrups, and particularly to the class known as safety-stirrups.

The object of my invention is to simplify and improve the existing art by providing a safety-stirrup of simple and durable construction, the parts of which are so combined as to accomplish the purposes efiiciently and with certainty.

To this end my invention resides in the novel construction of parts and their assemblage in operative combination, as will hereinafter be more fully described and claimed.

The preferred embodimentof myinvention is fully and clearly illustrated in the annexed drawings, which are to be taken as a part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved stirrup, showing the parts assembled. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same, taken on the line 2 2 i of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the T upper member. Fig. 4 is a similar view of the lower member.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

My improved safety-stirrup is primarily constructed of two sections, comprising an upper member and a lower member. As shown in the drawings, the upper member 1 is constructed in a substantially bow or arch shape, consisting of a rounded transverse portion 2, to which the saddle-strap 3 is attached, and the flattened depending arms 4, which are provided near their free ends with perforations 5. The arms are constructed of spring metal and are normally adapted to bear tightly against faces 6 of vertical arms f the lower foot-holding member 8. Suitably disposed upon the arms 7 of the lower member 8 are trunnions or bearings 9, which are adapted to engage the perforations 5 of the spring-arms 4. Lugs or projections 10 are formed upon the free ends of the arms '7, and approximately opposite these lugs is a bail 11, extending outwardly and diverging at a suitable angle from its points of connection to the arms 7.

The spring-arms 4 of the upper member 1 i are pivotally connected to the spring-arms 7 of the lower member 8 intermediate the lugs 10 and the diverging bail 11, the lugs and the diverging arms of the bail bearing against the springarms '7 and normally securing said arms against lateral movement. The diverging arms of the bail 11 also form means which upon the rotation of the lower member 8 will cause the spring-arms 4 to become disengaged from the trunnions 9 of the lower member 8, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

In practice the rider places his foot within the lower member 8 of the stirrup, the bail 11 resting above his instep. Should the rider fall or be thrown from his mount, the fore part of his foot will come in contact with the bail 11, which will then be forcibly pressed against the spring-arms 4 of the member 1, and as the pressure increases the spring-arms 4, rotating upon the trunnions 9, are caused to spread apart by the diverging arms of the bail 11 and become disengaged from the trunnions 9 until the two members are entirely separated, thus allowing the foot holding member 8 to fall free and.prevent the rider from being dragged by the horse.

Changes in the precise embodiment of the invention illustrated and described may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described the invention, what 1 claim is 1. A stirrup comprising an upper member having spring-arms, a lower member pivotally connected with said arms, and means actuated by the rotation of the lower member for spreading the spring-arms and disengaging them from the lower member.

2.. A stirrup comprising an upper member having spring-arms formed with perforations near the free extremities thereof, a lower member having arms provided with trunnions adapted to engage the perforations in the spring-arms of the upper member, means provided by the lower member to secure the spring-arms of the upper member against lateral movement and means whereby the spring-arms are spread apart and disengaged from the lower member.

3. A stirrup comprising an upper member having spring-arms formed with perforations near the free extremities thereof, a lower member having arms provided with trunnions, said trunnions adapted to engage the perforations in the spring-arms of the upper memthetrunnion s of the lower member and dis- 1O ber, lugs on one side of the arms of the lower engage the upper and lowermembers.

member, said lugs lying normally in the path In testimony whereof Iafiix my signature in of the spring-arms of the upper member, a presence of two Witnesses.

5 diverging bail opposite the lugs, the arms of the bail resting normally against the sprifig- (JARL ELDENBURG arms of the upper member and adapted upon Witnesses: rotation of the lower member to spread the G. W. DICKINSON, spring-arms of the upper member away frem '1 H. H.'WILDER. 

